De Novo

Camilo Almonacid is a bi-coastal, multi-talented artist based in the Los Angeles area. His most recent play, Hotel Happy, premiered Off-Broadway in February 2024 to critical acclaim, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for outstanding puppetry, and received the NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund (2018). Expanding his storytelling into film, Camilo wrote and directed his first short, The Teaching Artist, which won the Creating Creators “2025 Create Challenge” and was fully produced by the company. In addition to being a playwright and screenwriter, he is a seasoned bilingual copywriter, collaborating with major media companies such as Netflix, Vice, Refinery29, and Remezcla, spanning various high-profile projects, for which he crafted branded content scripts, promotional trailers, sizzles, and documentary-style content in English and Spanish. www.camiloalmonacid.com

Ms. Guevara’s stage credits include the latest performance run of DE NOVO, the world premiere of UNCOMMON SENSE for Tectonic Theatre Project. Theater credits include the New Jersey premier of Water by the Spoonful, Columbia Stages’ La Paloma Prisoner and The Hour of The Star, the world premier of SEVEN SPOTS ON THE SUN at the Cincinnati Playhouse and Working Theatres production of LA RUTA. TV/Film credits include SONIA’S CHOICE for the #imhere campaign, LEGEND OF THE 13 SUNS for Kraft, LAW & ORDER, CBS pilot LIMITLESS, Fox’s GOTHAM-THE RED QUEEN, ROPE ART, DANNY BOY, NEW YORK STATE OF MIND and the soon to be released THIRD TRINITY.

Paola Poucel is an actress, singer, and voiceover artist and is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC. Her career began in Mexico at the Theater Company of the State of Puebla in classics like Fuenteovejuna, Otelo, and The Would Be Gentleman. Other favorite credits include: Fame (Serena) and Notredame de Paris (Fleur du Lys). Paola has starred in original new works like the opera rock Amusia in Salamanca Spain, and the experimental plays Esperadoras and Losers. In New York she has participated in numerous theater projects including: De Novo (Kim Salinas), Cinderella (Cinderella), Interpreting a Dream (Ivania) and Rosa de Dos Aromas (Gabriela) . Overseas productions include: El Sexo del Che in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Spanish version of De Novo in San Salvador, El Salvador. After several short films, her feature debut Ilegales premiered at the 2010 HBO Latino Film Festival to great reviews. The film is now available on DVD, Netlix and Amazon. After a sucessful run in the festival circuit, her most recent shortfilm Text Amy (which she starred and produced) is part of the rotation of the “Emerging Latino Filmmakers” at FUSE TV. Furthermore, Paola has developed a distinctive voiceover career working for brands such as Kmart, Aveeno, TD Bank, Nickelodeon’s Dora and Friends, Dora the Explorer, Payless, Cricket Wireless, Neutrogena, Nintendo, Subway, DSW, Publix and Microsoft. Paola is also a member of SAG-AFTRA, IFP, and NYWIFT.

Manny Ureña is an actor of Dominican descent, born and raised in Corona, Queens. He fell in love with the creative process while studying acting at prestigious William Esper Studio in New York City. Notable credits include De Novo (Next Door at NYTW) Blue Bloods (CBS), See You Yesterday (Netflix), Pimp (starring Keke Palmer) and a major supporting role in the upcoming indie feature Barrio Boy.

Emily Joy Weiner is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Houses on the Moon Theater Company. Since the company’s inception in 2001 she has been creating, developing, performing, producing and directing new works that explore the complex and sensitive issues of our time. Directing highlights include THE ASSIGNMENT (ART/New York Theatres), THE SANTA CLOSET (Teatro Circulo), and the touring storytelling production of gUN COUNTRY. Performance highlights include COMING THROUGH (American Place Theatre), OTHELLO  (West End Theater), FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (Williamstown Theatre Festival), and DE NOVO (Next Door at NYTW). She penned and performed in SHARED SENTENCES which premiered in 2022 (Theater 122CC) and co-developed and toured a one-woman adaptation of Faulkner’s AS I LAY DYING with the late Wynn Handman. The League of Professional Theatre Women honored Emily with the Josephine Abady award for her work with Houses in the creation of multicultural works.